Trump launches “Genesis Project” to use AI to drive scientific innovation

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on November 24, local time, the US White House issued a statement saying that President Trump signed an executive order to launch the “Genesis Project,” a new national plan aimed at using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform scientific research methods and accelerate scientific discovery.

The statement said the order directed the Department of Energy to create an artificial intelligence experimental platform that integrates US supercomputers and unique data assets to generate science-based models and support robotics laboratories. The order directed the Assistant to the President for Scientific and Technical Affairs (APST) to coordinate this national plan and integrate data and infrastructure across federal government departments. The Minister of Energy, the Assistant to the President for Scientific and Technical Affairs, and the Special Adviser on Artificial Intelligence and Cryptography will work with innovators in academia and the private sector to support and strengthen the “Genesis Project.”

This is the latest effort by the Trump administration to promote artificial intelligence innovation. Michael Kratsios (Michael Kratsios), director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters before Trump signed the order that the move was aimed at better coordinating the research work of various government agencies and integrating AI tools more effectively to achieve more scientific breakthroughs. He added that the mission will use computational resources from the Department of Energy's National Laboratory to mine federal data sets and support more experiments using AI, adding that this is “the largest allocation of federal scientific resources since the Apollo Program.” He predicts that this will help shorten the timeline of scientific discoveries.

Trump unveiled a comprehensive artificial intelligence policy blueprint in July to make it easier for AI companies to grow in the US and make it easier for US allies to access critical hardware and software. The blueprint encourages the US Department of Energy and other agencies to collaborate with the private sector and national laboratories to invest in “automated cloud laboratories in a range of scientific fields, including engineering, materials science, chemistry, biology, and neuroscience.” It also directed the government to expand artificial intelligence research and training in laboratories.

Last week, US Department of Energy chief of staff Carl Coe (Carl Coe) said this shows that the Trump administration sees the upcoming artificial intelligence race as important as the “Manhattan Project” or the space race. “We think the 'Genesis Project' is equivalent,” he added. He said the executive order may require the US National Laboratory to conduct more research on emerging AI technology and may involve public-private partnerships.

A senior government official who anonymously explained the details of the order said that cooperation with private companies such as Nvidia (NVDA.US), Dell Technologies (DELL.US), HPE (HPE.US), and AMD (AMD.US) will enhance the lab's supercomputing resources. The official cites recent announcements from these companies as examples of potential new collaborations.

Officials said Monday that the move will accelerate scientific discoveries in materials engineering, health science, and energy. They seek to portray innovation as key to helping boost production and lower prices, another priority for the government as it seeks to address voters' concerns about the cost of living. “With the power of AI, America is on the brink of a scientific revolution,” Clasios said.

However, the large amount of computing resources required for AI development and use depends on energy-intensive data centers, raising concerns that the adoption of this technology will increase the pressure on the US grid.

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright (Chris Wright) said on Monday that the “Genesis Plan” will help deal with rising energy costs, saying that one of its “ultimate goals” in the energy sector is to “increase energy supply, improve grid efficiency, and reverse the price increases that infuriate American citizens.” He said, “We will stop energy prices from rising. First, it will stabilize, which will eventually put downward pressure on electricity prices.”

Trump often praises the future of AI and makes its development a top priority for his administration, implementing what he says is a policy to ensure America wins the tech race. Through a series of executive orders, Trump has taken action to reduce regulatory burdens, make it easier for companies to build AI infrastructure and power data centers, and make it easier for allies to obtain critical hardware and software. He also pushed for blocking US state-level regulation and advocated setting federal standards. Additionally, Trump is preparing an executive order that will allow the Department of Justice to sue states over artificial intelligence regulations he deems unconstitutional.